Improvement in car-couplings



"r. J. WEST.

CAR-COUPLINGS. No. 186,048, Patented Jan.9,1877.

1%ituezzez. 391mm, m i/+54 55km mvw N. FEI'KRS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER,WASHINGTONv D C UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

THOMAS J. WEST, OF PLEASANTVILLE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHTTO ORUSAN BANE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPR OVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 1 86,048, datedJanuary 9, 1877; application filed June 12, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. WEST, of Pleasantville, in the county ofMarion and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Gar-Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to prevent railway accidents by furnishingan improved automatic car-coupling. It consists in forming, arranging,and combining, in adraw-head, horizontal coupling-pins, a pin-latch, abuffer, and a square-ended link, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 of my drawing is a top-plan view, illustrating the constructionand operation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

A represents a draw-head, which may vary in size, as desired. It extendsrearward, and terminates in a draw-bar.

B B are bars, pivoted at their rear ends in a horizontal slot formed inthe body of the draw-head. At their front ends they have coupling-pins aa, formed integral with the bars, and standing inward at right angles tothe bars, and horizontally, to engage the link 0, that passes rearwardthrough the mouth and throat d of the draw-head.

G is a buffer-rod,that slides longitudinally back and forth inacorresponding groove formed in the lower half of the draw-head. It hasa square-faced head, f, on its front end, against which the square-facedend of the link 0 impinges. g is a buffer-spring, fitted in a suitablecavity formed in the drawhead at the rear end of the buifer-rod O. h isa cam on the rear portion of the buffer-rod, designed to operate thepin-latch.

k is a pin-latch in the form of a transverse bar, that has shoulders onits under side to engage the bars B, carrying the pins a. This latch isfitted in a transverse groove formed in the under side of the upper halfof the centrally-slotted draw-head, and in its normal position it restsupon the bufi'er-rod C. It will retain its normal position by force ofgravity; or it may be pressed down by a suitable spring.

- l l are the two ends of a spring fixed in the slotted draw-head insuch a manner that it will engage the arms B, and retain them in theirnormal position in the slot of the draw-head, as required, to hold thecouplinglink 0. m m are eyes or perforated ears, formed on the insideedges of the bars B. The ends of the spring, l I, enter these eyes, toengage and operate the bars B and the pins a, carried by the bars. D isa turn-button or eccentric, pivoted centrally in the slot of thedraw-head, to simultaneously engage both the bars B and press themapart, and thereby disengage their pins or from the link 0, as required,to uncouple the cars.

n represents a crank-arm, connected with the eccentric D. By means ofsuitable chains, pulleys, and levers connected with this arm n, the carsmay be readily uncoupled without going between them, and withoutendangering the life and limbs of the operator.

In the practical operation of my invention one of my draw-heads isrequired on each end of every car.

When two cars are to be coupled one of them must carry a link, 0, in itsdraw-head. The pins a retain that link in the throat d of the draw-head,and the buffer-spring y will press the square-faced head f of the rod 0forward against the square end of the link 0, and cause the link tostand forward in line with the buffer-rod, as required, to approach andcouple with the other car, which has bars B, and their pins a spreadapart and held open by the latch k. The free end of the link carried bythe one draw-head will enter the unoccupied throat d of the otherdraw-head, and impinge upon the square head f of its bufi'errod 0, andforce the rod rearward, and cause the cam h on the rear portion of therod to ft the latch lo, anl thereby release the ar ms B, which willclose by the force of the spring I l, and pass their pins 0. laterallythrough the open link 0. A complete automatic coupling is thus effectedwith a movable link, and Without exposing any one to danger ofaccidental maiming or killing.

To uncouple, simply spread the bars B in one of the draw-heads by meansof the eccentric D and its crank-lever arm n. The latch It will retainthe arms and pins in position, as l l, and the eccentric D, all arrangedand comreqnired, to meet and couple again with a car bined substantiallyas and for the purposes carrying a link. shown and described.

I claim as my invention- In a car-coupling, the slotted draw-head A,THOMAS WEST the pivoted arms B B, carrying pins 4% a, the Witnesses:bufl'er-rod 0, having square head f and cam h, MILES JORDAN, thebufi'er-sprin g g, the pin-latch la, the spring M. K. DEWITT.

